Fair Grounds set for first night card of this year's racing season

Music will be playing and drinks will be flowing tonight when the Fair Grounds runs its first night card of the season.

Michael DeMocker / The Times-PicayuneFollowing the success of last years Starlight racing series the Fair Grounds has extended the Friday night racing to six dates, two more than last season. Admission is $5 and the gates open at 4 p.m.

Post time for the first of nine races will be 5 p.m. Gates will open at 4 p.m.

This season, there will be six night cards, two more than there were last season.

“We had such success with it last year, specifically in the last three months, we wanted to replicate it more in the live meet,” Fair Grounds President Tim Bryant said.

General admission for night racing — free last season — will be $5 this season. On most race days, general admission is free.

Clubhouse admission and admission to the beer garden on the track apron will be an additional $5.

Bryant said he understands that some regular race-goers might be turned off by the general-admission charge and decide not to come.

“We do run that risk,” he said. “Based on the crowds, we think that we create an event that’s worth $5 admission. We have a popular enough event that we’re going to get a large crowd that will offset some of the handle we might lose.”

Last season, Bryant said, on-track handle for Friday night cards was about 30 percent higher than the handle for Friday day cards.

“We know that we’re doing more business on the food and beverage side and the racing side,” he said.

Live music in the clubhouse will start at 7 p.m. on racing nights. The Boogie Men will play tonight.

Here is the band line-up for the other racing nights: Jan. 20, Bucktown All-Stars; Feb. 10, The Topcats; Feb. 24, The Mixed Nuts; March 16, Rockn’ Dopsie Jr. and The Zydeco Twisters; and March 31, Groovy 7.

DJs will present the music in the beer garden, and dancers will entertain. Food trucks will be on the apron, and there will be food and drink specials throughout the track.

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Bob Fortus can be reached at rfortus@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3408.